A 77 day old warning about this river was added. Click on comments below to read it.

Beaver Creek - Alpine Road to Bull Road


Beaver Creek, Pennsylvania, US

Disclaimer

Alpine Road to Bull Road

Usual Difficulty III-IV (for normal flows)
Length 1.5 Miles
Avg. Gradient 80 fpm
Max Gradient 80 fpm

Entering Ring Rapid, Beaver Creek


Entering Ring Rapid, Beaver Creek
Photo of Keith Strausbaugh by Mark Kennell



River Description


River Description:

This creek flows out of Gifford Pinchot Park Lake (Northeast corner of the lake). Beaver Creek's upper reaches lie underneath the manmade Gifford Pinchot Park lake.

Beaver Creek begins at the bridge on Alpine Road. Parking is available on the upstream river-right side of the bridge. The takeout is located on Bull Road at the bridge crossing. Parking is available on river right, downstream of the bridge.

The run can only be made in the late fall, winter or spring after heavy rains or continuous rain for several days. This dam has a spillway and a drain valve; when the lake is full, water will naturally flow over the 100-ft spillway to provide natural flow. Sometimes, water is released from the dam through a drain valve. Every three years, the lake is drained to a certain level to allow algae to be killed. This release typically lasts one week. The release is typically enough (valve 1/2 way open) to provide minmum runnable levels.

This creek is very tight (15 feet at its narrowest). The entire run is approximately 1.5 miles long. The first 0.5 miles is relatively flatwater (Class II).
The next and final mile is continuous Class III-IV.

Wood is definitely a problem on this creek, including fallen trees and overhanging trees.

Main rapids described in rapids section. All other rapids are class III-III+.


StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2011-09-07 11:41:49

Editors



11/2011 Below Little Heizlinger

Detail Trip Report  11/2011 Below Little Heizlinger  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(1.65MB .jpeg)

11/2011 Little Heizlinger

Detail Trip Report  11/2011 Little Heizlinger  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(1.14MB .jpeg)

11/2011 Above Heizlinger

Detail Trip Report  11/2011 Above Heizlinger  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(1.66MB .jpeg)

Just before the bridge

Detail Trip Report  Just before the bridge  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(1.14MB .jpeg)

King's Demise

Detail Trip Report  King's Demise  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(660.21KB .jpeg)

Hair of the Beaver

Detail Trip Report  Hair of the Beaver  Beaver Creek, PA(212.13KB .jpeg)

Entering Ring Rapid, Beaver Creek

Detail Trip Report  Entering Ring Rapid, Beaver Creek  Beaver Creek, PA(1.02MB .bmp)

Entering Ring Rapid

Detail Trip Report  Entering Ring Rapid  Beaver Creek, PA(70.01KB .jpeg)

Beaver Creek, looking upstream from the takeout bridge

Detail Trip Report  Beaver Creek, looking upstream from the takeout bridge  Beaver Creek, PA(153.35KB .jpeg)

Will anxious to start boating

Detail Trip Report  Will anxious to start boating  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(1.85MB .jpeg)

bill about to go under bridge

Detail Trip Report  bill about to go under bridge  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(990.34KB .jpeg)

dam rapid

Detail Trip Report  dam rapid  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(972.11KB .jpeg)

iron ring rapid

Detail Trip Report  iron ring rapid  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(1.49MB .jpeg)

top of damn at pinchoet

Detail Trip Report  top of damn at pinchoet  @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road, PA(1.26MB .jpeg)

beaver creek beast at very low level

Detail Trip Report  beaver creek beast at very low level  Beaver Creek, pa(1.15MB .jpeg)

Spill Way on Beaver Creek

Detail Trip Report  Spill Way on Beaver Creek  Beaver Creek, PA(728.68KB .jpeg)


Gauge Information

Gauge Description:


There is no online gauge

There is a painted gauge on the river right/upstream side of the put in bridge abutment.

Minimum (boney) Level is 1' 6" on the painted gauge or to the top of the numerous 5 inch dia holes in the bridge abutment.

My recommended minimum level is 2' on the painted gauge.

Above 3' on the painted gauge is pushy and eddies start to disappear. Consider it Class IV, above 3'.

The highest I have run it is at 3.5'. At this level the run takes 25 minutes if you do not have to portage any strainers.

Report - Reports of Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road and related gauges

Reports give the public a chance to report on river conditions throughout the country as well as log the history of a river.

Reports

When River/Gauge Subject Level Reporter
Beaver Creek [PA] Spill Way on Beaver Creek high Art Barket
Beaver Creek [pa] beaver creek beast at very low level Veeeery Low Phil MacDonald
Beaver CreekAlpine Road to Bull Road [PA] dam rapid n/a Phil MacDonald
Beaver Creek [PA] Hair of the Beaver n/a Mark Kennell
14d19h36m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 6-9" below the pipe - you could scrape down 0 cfs Stacey Gricks
64d15h41m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 6-9" below the pipe 0 cfs Stacey Gricks
77d09h19m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 11/2011 Below Little Heizlinger n/a Stacey Gricks
77d09h21m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 11/2011 Little Heizlinger n/a Stacey Gricks
77d09h43m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 11/2011 Above Heizlinger n/a Stacey Gricks
133d22h12m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] At the pipes - lower runnable. 0 cfs Stacey Gricks
134d15h53m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 6" above the pipe - Good to go! 0 cfs Stacey Gricks
135d15h32m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] At the pipes...lower runnable! 0 cfs Stacey Gricks
136d13h50m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 6" below the pipe. too low to paddle 0 cfs Stacey Gricks
136d13h51m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 6" below the pipe. a little low. 1.00 ft Stacey Gricks
154d00h30m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] At the pipes - scrape down it - CHECK THE WARNING!! 1.50 ft Stacey Gricks
154d15h58m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 2.5 to 3 ft. Good to go READ THE WARNING!! 3.00 ft Stacey Gricks
154d21h39m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] 3 feet - WATCH FOR WOOD 3.00 ft Stacey Gricks
154d23h15m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] approx 3 feet. WATCH FOR WOOD 3.00 ft Stacey Gricks
155d15h51m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] Still High! 4.5 feet approximately SEE THE WARNING 4.50 ft Stacey Gricks
155d23h07m @Beaver Creek Alpine Road to Bull Road [PA] Still Booming 4-5 feet! 4.50 ft Stacey Gricks

Report Table Options

 >> next

WXPort

News





User Comments


2011-11-25 08:59:59 (77 days ago)
Stacey GricksDetails
11/25 - Wood at Little Heizlinger still exists and you MUST MAKE the Heizlinger move. Soon as you
are thru, eddy out and portage over/around the huge log/trees. Also - below Hair of the Beaver
there is a tree across which also needs portaged - it is a bit below the Hair so there is
definitely time to react and eddy out. Posting pictures of the mess at Heizlinger.

2011-09-10 05:00:27 (154 days ago)
Stacey GricksDetails
9/9 Some cleanup work was done, however, you MUST MAKE the 'Heizerling' move at little Heizlinger.
The right of the rock is clogged with trees. When you bank left off of the rock at Heizlinger drive
into the eddy. Approx 10' below Heizlinger is a large tree which can now be ducked under (when
water is at the pipes); then 5 feet after that there is a large log which you will need to push
over or push up onto it and get out for a quick portage. The other option is at the eddy right at
Heizlinger - a fellow kayaker was kind enough to make a short portage trail around both trees and
you can put in on the other side. The wood at King's Demise (Iron Ring) is gone.

2006-02-10 17:43:28 (2191 days ago)
Colby ZebelDetails
Be careful at the King's demise (Ring rapid). There's a log across the entire creek after the first
few ledges. There is a last ditch eddy on river left and a low spot in the center that is very
runnable at about 1.5'. Just be aware that it's there. Everything else passable at this level
although there is some grooming needed. Hopefully get to that shortly...
Users can submit comments.

Rapid Summary

Mile Rapid Name Class Features (Legend)
0.0Little Heinzerling (III+)III+
0.0Hair of the Beaver or Slot (III+)III+
0.0Ring Rapid (IV)IV
0.0Takeout Bridge Rapid (III+)III+

Rapid Descriptions


Do more than just check gauges; join over 5,000 AW members today.

Join_or_Renew_Logo-200px

Join or Renew


Or, consider donating

Donate_Logo-200px

Donate


General Nonmember Message


 reach  
 state  
 reachlink  
 Alpine Road to Bull Road, Beaver Creek Pennsylvania, US (mobile)